Jeremiah 6:15 · Bible study
Jeremiah 6:15 Commentary: When Shame Is Lost, Judgment Follows
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the grief of a hardened heart that cannot blush. Jeremiah 6:15 warns of judgment when moral insensitivity takes root.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Utter loss of shame indicates total moral decay, leading to certain judgment.
- Key words: ashamed (H954), to feel shame; abomination (H8441), idolatry/wickedness; blush (H3637), exhibit shame; stumble (H3782), fall under judgment.
- Main debate: Whether the first clause is interrogative (“Were they ashamed…?”) or declarative (“They were put to shame…”) and whether “ashamed” denotes feeling or duty.
- Theological theme: Hardening of the heart as divine judgment; insensitivity to sin invites God’s “visitation”.
- Best use: As a sobering warning about persistent sin and a call to thank God for a sensitive conscience.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Are they ashamed of the abomination they have committed? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; when I punish them, they will collapse,” says the LORD.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush. Therefore they will fall among those who fall. When I visit them, they will be cast down,” says Yahweh.
KJV King James Version 1769
Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the Lord.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall; at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith Jehovah.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
They were ashamed when they did abomination! Yea, they are not at all ashamed, Yea, blushing they have not known, Therefore they do fall among those falling, In the time I have inspected them, They stumble, said Jehovah.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Are they ashamed that they have committed abomination? Nay, they are not at all ashamed, neither know they what it is to blush. Therefore they shall fall among them that fall; at the time that I visit them they shall stumble, saith Jehovah.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
They were confounded, because they committed abomination: yea, rather they were not confounded with confusion, and they knew not how to blush: wherefore they shall fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall fall down, saith the Lord.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
¿ Hanse avergonzado de haber hecho abominación? No por cierto, no se han avergonzado, ni aun saben tener vergüenza: por tanto caerán entre los que caerán; caerán cuando los visitaré, dice Jehová.
Eles se envergonham de fazerem abominação? Não, não se envergonham de maneira nenhuma, nem sequer sabem ter vergonha. Por isso cairão entre os que caem; tropeçarão quando eu os visitar, diz o SENHOR.
Ils seront confus, car ils commettent des abominations;
Darum werden sie mit Schanden bestehen, daß sie solche Greuel treiben; wiewohl sie wollen ungeschändet sein und wollen sich nicht schämen. Darum müssen sie fallen auf einen Haufen; und wenn ich sie heimsuchen werde, sollen sie stürzen, spricht der HERR.
Zijn zij beschaamd, omdat zij gruwel bedreven hebben? Ja, zij schamen zich in het minste niet, weten ook niet van schaamrood te maken; daarom zullen zij vallen onder de vallenden, ten tijde als Ik hen bezoeken zal, zullen zij struikelen, zegt de HEERE.
Saranno confusi perché commettono delle abominazioni; non si vergognano affatto, non sanno che cosa sia arrossire; perciò cadranno fra quelli che cadono; quand’io li visiterò saranno rovesciati, dice l’Eterno.
Izali się zawstydzili, przeto że obrzydłość czynili? Zaiste ani się lud wstydził, ani ich prorocy do wstydu przywieść mogli; przetoż upadną między padającymi; czasu, którego ich nawiedzę, upadną, mówi Pan.
Стыдятся ли они, делая мерзости? нет, нисколько не стыдятся и не краснеют. За то падут между падшими, и во время посещения Моего будут повержены, говорит Господь.
他們行 可憎的事 知道慚愧嗎？不然，他們毫 不 慚愧，也 不 知 羞恥。因此，他們必在仆倒的人中 仆倒；我向他們討罪 的時候，他們必致跌倒。這是耶和華 說的。
Let them be put to shame because they have done disgusting things. They had no shame, they were not able to become red with shame: so they will come down with those who are falling: when my punishment comes on them, they will be made low, says the Lord.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 6:15
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse depicts a people who have passed the point of moral recovery. The Hebrew presents a frightful reality: they have done “abomination” (idolatry), yet the expected shame is utterly absent. Barnes notes that “shame nevertheless they feel not.” Calvin reads the opening as a rhetorical question, more forceful than a simple statement, exposing a “meretricious front” that no reproof can penetrate. The verb “blush” (הַכְלִים, from H3637, Hiphil infinitive) implies a conscious act of showing shame; here, the people “know not” even that. Gill describes them as “men of impudent faces, a whore’s forehead.” The Cambridge Bible observes that the verse likely began as a declarative statement (“They are put to shame…”) which the prophet then corrected. Across traditions the consensus is clear: a shameless people, beyond repentance, face certain judgment. No commentator suggests any escape clause.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Interrogative reading: The question form (reflected in WEB, KJV) emphasises the absurdity of expecting shame.
- Declarative reading: Keil and Delitzsch treat it as an assertion: 'They are put to shame because they have done abomination', which the prophet then corrects.
- Duty reading: Rosenmüller's view that the Hebrew expresses obligation: 'they should have been ashamed'.
What is clear: The people felt no shame for their sins and will be judged.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'ashamed' (bush, H954) | It refers to the feeling of shame or embarrassment over sin. | Rosenmüller reads it as duty: 'they ought to have been ashamed'. Maurer reads it as actual feeling. The grammar allows either. |
| Nature of the 'abomination' | Primarily idolatry, as elsewhere in Jeremiah. | Some extend it to general moral corruption (covetousness, false prophecy). The immediate context includes both. |
| Identity of 'them that fall' | The judgment is shared with the people they have misled. | Are these the common people already judged, or the entire nation falling together? Most see the latter. |
| Meaning of 'when I visit them' (pe.kad.ti, H6485) | Refers to divine punishment, 'visitation' as judgment. | Whether this visitation is the Babylonian invasion (historic) or eschatological (future). Most historicise. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah 6:15 sits within a larger indictment of Judah in the years leading up to the Babylonian exile (c. 608, 586 BC). The preceding verses (Jer 6:13, 14) describe a society where “from the least of them even to the greatest, everyone is given to covetousness” and where prophets and priests “heal the hurt of my people superficially, saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ when there is no peace.” The “abomination” named here is idolatry (see Jer 4:1; Barnes), which the people practice openly and without hesitation.
Cultural historians note that shame was a powerful social regulator in ancient Israel. Public disgrace was expected for those caught in serious sin. But Jeremiah describes a generation that has lost even this basic human reflex. The phrase “neither could they blush” picks up an image used earlier: “You have had a prostitute’s forehead; you refused to be ashamed” (Jer 3:3). The Hebrew root for “blush” (כָּלַם, H3637) carries the sense of being humiliated or disgraced; here the people have become so morally calloused that they have no capacity for that feeling.
The “time that I visit them” (v. 17) echoes the language of divine punishment found in Exodus 32:34 and is a recurrent theme in Jeremiah. “Fall among them that fall” (v. 15) means they will share the fate of the nation crushed by the Chaldean armies. The judgment is both corporate and inescapable: there will be no privileged exemption for the religious leaders who led the people astray.
Textual Notes
Reception History
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The nature of a shameless society. The people had committed “abomination” (idolatry), yet felt no shame. Sin had become normalised; no one blushed.
- The progression of moral hardness. They moved from committing evil to being unable to blush, a sign that their conscience had seared shut. Calvin calls this a “stupor” like that of Ephesians 4:19.
- The certainty of divine visitation. Because they would not be ashamed, God would visit them in judgment. They would “fall among the fallen,” stumbling under God’s hand.
Five-point outline
- The context: Everyone given to covetousness (v. 13).
- The deception: False prophets proclaim peace when there is none (v. 14).
- The symptom: No shame, no blush, no remorse (v. 15a).
- The sentence: They will fall among those who fall (v. 15b).
- The executor: Yahweh visits them to make them stumble (v. 15c).
Illustration hooks
- A driver who forgets the location of the brake pedal.
- A child who no longer reacts to correction, not because they are defiant, but because they can no longer hear.
- A culture that parades what it once hid: sin loses its power to shock.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “How do I know if I still have a working conscience?”
- “I’ve sinned so often in the same way, am I beyond repentance?”
- “What does ‘God visiting’ look like today, and how do I avoid it?”
Leading a Discussion
Open with: Jeremiah is heartbroken. The people he loves have lost the ability to be ashamed of their sin, not because they are brave, but because they are dead inside. This passage asks us to look at our own hearts: is there still a flinch when we sin? Do we still blush?
Discussion questions
- Read Jeremiah 6:13, 15 aloud. What stands out to you about the sequence of events?
- Why is shame important in the life of faith? Can it ever be a gift from God?
- What does the Hebrew phrase “they know not how to blush” (weaving in H3637 and H3045) tell us about the people’s condition?
- Compare this verse with Jeremiah 3:3. How does the “prostitute’s forehead” image relate to not being able to blush?
- The false prophets had been saying “Peace, peace!” (v. 14). How does a smooth message of comfort help create a shameless generation?
- “They will fall among the fallen.” Is this judgment purely for leaders, or for everyone? Explain.
- How can we cultivate a healthy sensitivity to sin without becoming morbid or guilty?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 32:34 | Now go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin.” |
| Proverbs 29:1 | He who is often rebuked and stiffens his neck will be destroyed suddenly, with no remedy. |
| Isaiah 3:9 | The look of their faces testify against them. They parade their sin like Sodom. They don’t hide it. Woe to their soul! For they have brought disaster upon themselves. |
| Isaiah 10:4 | They will only bow down under the prisoners, and will fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. |
| Jeremiah 3:3 | Therefore the showers have been withheld and there has been no latter rain; yet you have had a prostitute’s forehead and you refused to be ashamed. |
| Jeremiah 5:9 | Shouldn’t I punish them for these things?” says Yahweh. “Shouldn’t my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? |
| Jeremiah 5:29 | “Shouldn’t I punish for these things?” says Yahweh. “Shouldn’t my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? |
| Jeremiah 8:12 | Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed. They couldn’t blush. Therefore they will fall among those who fall. In the time of their visitation they will be cast down, says Yahweh. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights the paradox that these people do something truly shameful yet feel no shame at all. Because they cannot even blush at their idolatry, they will stumble and fall when God comes to hold them accountable.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin emphasizes that Jeremiah’s question about shame is far stronger than a simple accusation. The people’s wickedness was so blatant that even visible disgrace did not move them—they had become past any sense of shame or correction. For Calvin, this marks the point where God stops reasoning with them and moves directly to judgment.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator emphasizes that judgment will strike repeatedly, not just once. Regarding the line about shame, the English version turns it into a question to avoid a contradiction, but some scholars omit the verse because it disrupts the meter and context.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that these people had so completely lost the capacity for shame that they could no longer feel it at all, even after committing horrible sins. Because their moral sense was dead, God’s judgment would come suddenly, and they would fall dead among the slain.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that the false prophets and wicked priests had become so hardened in sin that they felt no shame or embarrassment at all. Their shamelessness would cost them everything, since their sacred office would not protect them from falling along with the rest of the people when God brought judgment.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch stress that the judgment on Jerusalem is not a total annihilation, since the gleaning metaphor leaves odd clusters untouched. The severity comes because the people refuse all warning, their ears uncircumcised, while false prophets and priests heal the nation's wound lightly by crying peace when none exists.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads the passage as a tightly structured cycle where judgment, its reasons, and a call to reform form a single climax. The judgment is so immediate that the prophet urgently warns people to flee, using the image of a carefully tended meadow about to be stripped bare
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that the repeated warnings in this passage mirror the previous one, showing God's patient persistence in calling His people to repent. The people's refusal to hear or take delight in God's word leaves them without excuse, and judgment follows their stubborn unrepentance.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley explains that the sin described involves more than just participating in idolatry. He notes it also includes actively encouraging others to do the same, making the guilt twofold.